Blackmun's Executive Award Caps Big Night For USOC

USOC Chief Executive Officer Scott Blackmun capped off a big night for the organization by winning the Executive of the Year award. He bested a field of nominees that included Time Warner’s Melinda Witmer, NBC Sports Group’s Mark Lazarus, ESPN’s John Skipper and Los Angeles Dodgers owner Mark Walter.

His recognition came moments after the USOC was awarded League of the Year. Blackmun negotiated the organization’s long term revenue-sharing agreement with the IOC, a deal that ended a decades-long dispute, and he developed the first joint sales effort with NBC, which resulted in new sponsorships with Citi and TD Ameritrade.

After being selected, Blackmun, who didn’t prepare a speech, said, “I think everyone in this room understands the power of sport. At the [USOC], we try to use sport to make the world a better place. Sport has had a huge influence on my family and has a huge influence on how we connect with each other. … We’re grateful you recognize and support our U.S. Olympic athletes. It’s the real America’s team, with all due respect to the Cowboys, and I really appreciate it.”